mnaines's Blog

http://www.newyorker.com/online/video/2008/04/21/08042
1_elevators

How would you pass the time if you were stuck in his position?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24132493/?GT1=43001

I think reimbursing the guy for the cost of towing his vehicle is not enough.  I think he deserves a formal apology, and I think there needs to be a review of the policies and procedures of when police are allowed to tow away a person's vehicle and why.

I am going to be interviewed by a reporter from the Kansas City Star sometime hopefully soon, and I was wondering what kind of questions the reporter will ask.  This will be my first time being interviewed by any reporters, so I am a bit nervous.  Any advice is most appreciated.

I might need a lawyer to answer this for me, so here is the question:  What is the legal definition of a "disabled person"?  I am asking because I have seen all news stations say disabled people are generally exempt from ID requirements at federal election sites.  I am also wondering what would qualify someone for one of those disabled parking stickers.  I think the term "disabled person" is used incorrectly in the news, and I think there needs to be some clarification on the term "disabled person" so that it can be used correctly in the news.

I am posting this blog to help Mike Lewis do a story on how people deal with high gas prices. Post your tips and secrets here, as well as any advice you have for other people.  Thanks.

One of the people I work with introduced me to a website that allows you to find penpals from other countries and teach them English in exchange for them teaching you their native language.  The website is www.mylanguageexchange.com and it is a great place to go if you want to learn a foreign language and the culture and customs of that country.  I have my own penpal from the site.  A 20 year old Japanese college student from Waseda University named Yuta who is studying commerce, and who is also interested in Philosophy and Politics.  He knows some English, but needs a little help speaking English, so I offered to help in exchange for him teaching me Japanese.  Finding a penpal on the site is easy...Just sign up (you must become a Gold Member before you can find penpals and communicate with them, but the Gold Membership is $15 for one year, and it is NOT automatically renewed), then go to the search box, fill out the "Native Language", "Practicing Language", and "Country" (this means the country you want a list of penpals for), the age range of your penpal, the gender, and how you want the results to be sorted.  You can also create your own profile for people to search for you as a penpal.  Simple, really.  Once you find someone, there is a box where you can send them a message for initial contact.  Be patient, though, and be prepared to wait.  It will take a couple days for a response from your penpal, so patience is the name of the game.  I learned from my penpal that direct action or verbal expression of feelings towards others is taboo in Japan (meaning you cannot even sit back in the chair with your arms folded across your chest without being seen as rude and offensive, and you cannot "speak your mind" about the things people are doing without being seen as rude and offensive).  He also said that formalities are a big issue over there, and that Japanese is a very difficult language to learn.  One of those difficulties is that the Japanese language is not entirely made up of words or letters.  He could not specify further because he was drunk and tired, so I let him go to sleep.

Fox 4 staff, I think this site would be a big help for you all as well, so feel free to browse the site if you want.

Fox 4 Problem Solvers, my many thanks for revealing this secret underworld of hotel housekeeping policies.  I am amazed - no, aghast - that people violate all known safety and health protocols just to make more money.  This is an absolute disgrace to the hotel's customers as well as the hotels themselves.  If that slap in the face is not enough, the worst part of that whole mess is the fact they are supposed to do it that way because it increases turnaround time and makes it faster and easier to get the room ready for the next guest.

I do not mean to sound demanding, but I want either a class-action lawsuit against the hotels or laws put in place to prevent this from happening again.  Fox 4, can you make this happen?

Here is a picture of the eclipse as it progresses to totality.

I honestly think there are a bunch of cheaters in NASCAR...Whenever a Toyota Camry is about to win any race, a caution is thrown and an American-made car ends up winning. I am amazed - no, aghast - that the idiot NASCAR executives think they can get away with this. I am also aghast that none of the American car drivers in NASCAR are even giving the Toyotas a fair chance. But, nothing irritates me more than peoples' hatred towards any foreign automaker. This so-called "Buy American" BS is annoying me like a bothersome fly. It makes me sick that Americans still think they are the kings and queens of the world and that everyone else has to bow down to them. NASCAR is rigged, like every other sport, save for fishing, if you even consider fishing a sport. At least fishing tournaments have HONEST competition and people follow the rules instead of cheating. Bah. Doesn't matter anyway. None of you Americans will ever change your ways. Its always all about you. All you care about are yourselves and money. That's it. I rambled on enough. Now, I must leave. Until next time, sayonara Americans.

I must warn people right now that the 1990's model Honda Accords and 1990's model Toyota Corollas are among the most stolen cars in the US.  My car is on that list, being a 1991 Accord.  Unfortunately, the key FOB for the factory alarm system bit the dust, and even with a new battery, it is still not operational.  I went up to circuit city to buy a new alarm system with keyless entry, failsafe starter kill (the alarm system directly controls the starter relay, disabling it when the alarm is active, to prevent a thief from starting the car by "hotwiring" it), dual-stage shock sensor, ignition-controlled door locks (doors automatically lock when car is started and unlock once engine is shut off), and Clone-Safe code hopping, which never uses the same code twice, so a thief can't "grab" the code without you knowing it.  I am going to do my own little "try it before you buy it" thing by seeing how the alarm works out for me and my car, then I will update all of you.  The alarm itself is $100 and the install price for the alarm and keyless entry option is an extra $100, add tax, and it comes out to a total of $220.  I scheduled an appointment with circuit city for Sunday at noon to have the alarm installed, so I will update all of you once the alarm is installed and I test it out.  Also, most factory alarm systems installed on automobiles do not come with all these features, and the factory-installed immobilizers only disable the ignition switch inside the car, not the starter relay itself, so a thief can override the immobilizer by "hotwiring" the car, and keyless entry is usually an optional feature on any car, even if the car has an alarm system.

I understand the pressures of Autism, for I am on the Spectrum myself, having been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at age 7.  I also know there are many people here in Kansas City who have Autism or live with someone who has Autism, and I want to give them good news:  Autism Asperger Publishing Company, where I work, is located at 154th and Quivira, and is a great local source for people on the Spectrum, as well as educators, employers, and parents.  The website is www.asperger.net and the office phone number is (913) 897-1004.  Feel free to browse around the site and shop for books. 

Also, Fox 4 staff, if you are reading this, you may contact Charla at AAPC to arrange an interview to learn more about the company and what resources we provide.  Also, if you arrange the interview day for a Friday, I will be in the office all day and can sit in on the interview to provide an inside-view of the autistic mind.

There are many financial blunders people make without even realizing it. I am here to correct those mistakes with a little advice and some general rules of thumb. The first thing every consumer needs to remember is that there is a big difference between a “want” and a “need”. “Wants” are the material goods that are not a requirement for life, but serve as ‘creature comforts’. Needs are the material goods that are required to live every day. I would highly recommend that everyone who reads this make a list of all their “wants” and a second list of all their “needs”. This will help in determining where your money should go.

For those of you who are in the market for a car, I would highly recommend that you first sit down and decide if you really need a $65,000 Land Rover or whatever car you want to buy that you are going to use as an everyday driver. For most people, a cheaper car is enough for a daily driver. Buy the cheaper everyday driver car and use the extra money you save to buy better insurance (namely full coverage insurance and hail damage insurance) for the car, as well as gas for the car. Most people do not really need anything more in a car than all the safety features the car can hold, power windows and locks and air conditioning. Any other feature falls under the “want” (creature comfort) category and is not a necessity to get back and forth safely to work every day. If your job or hobby requires you to buy a large, gas-guzzling vehicle, you must first decide if said vehicle will serve its desired purpose, and then only select a vehicle with the features necessary to accomplish said purpose.

For those of you in the market for a new house, I would highly recommend you “plan ahead”. If you are going to buy a house, the most important thing to remember is that you must factor in the cost of utilities, phone service (landline or cellular, whichever you decide to use), any insurance costs, and mortgage payments when determining the monthly payments you can afford for the house in question. Homeowners insurance is a must, and if your potential abode is in a flood plain, you also need flood damage insurance. A general rule of thumb for determining if you need flood damage insurance: If you live within a “flood plain”, and you are no more than 500 feet above the “flood stage” of the nearest body of water (river, lake, stream, or ocean), then you must buy flood damage insurance. Also, sump pumps are a must if you live in an area that gets a lot of rainfall during the year. Always, and I cannot stress this enough, ALWAYS read the fine print BEFORE you sign any mortgage papers. Fixed payment rate mortgages are a must if you intend to live at said residence long-term. I would recommend having an accountant or professional financial adviser present when you go apply for a mortgage, as they can determine what rates and terms are best for your lifestyle and purpose and keep you from unknowingly getting pulled into something you will regret later on.

When shopping for food (groceries), most people unknowingly make the mistake of buying two weeks’ worth of food, shove it into the back of the refrigerator or freezer, and then never bother to eat it later. Before writing a grocery list, stop and think about what foods you and your family eat most often, then write those on the list. I will use my grocery list as an example of what to buy and how long it generally lasts. A half-gallon of milk generally lasts me about a week, a loaf of bread lasts me about a week, a jar of peanut butter and a jar of jelly lasts me about a week and a half to two weeks. I generally only buy food for myself, so when writing out your grocery list, do it the same way you would when you order food from a restaurant. Buy the foods everyone will eat that week only. You will spend more time shopping, but you will save money in the long run because less food will end up at the back of the refrigerator wasting away. Also, at the end of every week, clean out your refrigerator and cabinets of any old or expired foods and seasonings. After that, make the list for next week’s supply of food. Also make a list of what foods get eaten and what foods do not, as then you will have a better idea of what to buy and you will not waste money on foods your family will not eat.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I sincerely hope it helps you become more financially stable.

I am planning to compete in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series Tournaments, Division 16. There will be 5 tournaments in Division 16. Four qualifiers and one divisional championship. Payouts for each qualifier can reach a maximum of $3,000 and payout for the divisional championship will be a maximum of $4,500 for co-angers. If I finish in the top 8, I could qualify for the nationals, which would have a maximum payout of $50,000 for co-anglers. I am hoping I do well, and ESPN or ESPN2 would have the Weekend Series tournaments on the channel the days of the tournaments.

I hope you all will follow my progress through the tournaments, and I hope I can come home in the top 8. Only time will tell, though.

The Weekend Series tournament schedule is as follows:
Missouri Division 16 Date: 2008-03-15 Location: Lake of the Ozarks - State Park/PB2

Missouri Division 16 Date: 2008-04-19 Location: Stockton Lake - Orleans Trail Marina

Missouri Division 16 Date: 2008-05-17 Location: Table Rock Lake - Port of Kimberling

Missouri Division 16 Date: 2008-06-21 Location: Lake of the Ozarks - Drake Harbor

Missouri Division 16 Dates: 2008-09-06 and 2008-09-07 Location: Truman Lake - Long Shoal Marina

I hope you all will follow my progress through each of these five tournaments, and I look forward to coming home in the top 8.  The one at Truman Lake will be the divisional championship.

I have been seriously contemplating getting back on a bicycle after many years of going without. I think bicycling is the best way to keep the air clean and reduce our demand for foreign oil, because you can save the gas in your car for the highway or any other long-distance trip while you take the bicycle to run errands and whatnot. I know a lot of people are not physically able to ride bicycles, but for those who are, why do you not ride one around town? I want to get people to start riding bicycles instead of wasting gas on short trips, because its better for the environment and better for your own health. I will now ask this: How many of you feel people should switch to bicycling or riding the bus to save the environment?  And how many of you feel that the city needs to make the roads and shopping centers more accessible to bikers or bus riders?

Here is a list of supplies drivers need:

Cat litter or sand,
de-icer washer fluid,
a good scraper with a brush,
flares or a reflective triangle,
a thick blanket in case you get stranded,
an LED flashlight with extra batteries in case the car dies and you need to see,
non-perishable food (again, if you get stranded...),
a day's supply of water,
a battery jumper pack (these can be bought at auto parts stores and are basically a battery enclosed in a portable case with jumper cables attached),
spare fuses and car light bulbs,
a battery-powered radio,
one of those "Cellboost" cellular phone batteries,
and a citizens-band radio for calling for help when the cell phones are down.

One important thing to remember: If you are stranded, open the window just enough to let air in, and turn on your hazard lights and hang a white cloth out the window, and only start the car just long enough to warm yourself up. If you can safely exit the vehicle, only do so long enough to place reflective triangles or light flares. Make sure you keep a blanket in the car to keep yourself warm in case the car's battery dies.